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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

The Sharing Economy Opens a Debate with San Diego Housing Rentals

It isn’t hard to find examples how new
technology is disrupting traditional methods of conducting business when these
examples are right in your backyard. Homeowners are renting their beach abodes
for extra money but putting pressure on local communities that lack parking and
resources. Recent meetings with The Smart Growth and Land Use Committee offers
opportunities to take public testimony and listen to reports to get a better
grasp of how the sharing economy works.

The problem is not yet a huge one but
certainly could get bigger in the future as the sharing economy grows. Getting
a handle on it now makes sense. There are around 1,800 registered owners of
rental properties but 3,100 properties available for rent (as
cited by Fox 5). This means that officials are unaware of how many people
are renting homes and whether or not they are complying with regulations.

These rental arrangements are growing in
other areas beyond the posh beach communities. Trendy neighborhoods such as East
Village, Little Italy and South Park also have their own short-term rental
options (as
cited by 10 News). It is likely that other communities may have an
interest in getting their houses on the market as well.

San Diego is a vacation destination and
certainly will have more incentives for homeowners to engage in short-term
renting while year round residents feel overwhelmed by the fluctuating traffic.
San Diego should not rush to come to grips looming issues in
order to set the right tone for other popular resort cities across the country.

As new technology changes the market
government must catch up and implement new rules, regulations, and processes to
ensure public interest is protected. As government adjusts and changes to meet
these new demands government will likely adjust local ordinance, laws, and
processes to better manage the situation. The same process will occur
throughout the country in other major cities.

The problems experience in San Diego are
not unique as all governments must come to new ways of handling changing
trends. There are many legal challenges associated with house renting in the sharing
economy and how U.S. policymakers can regulate micro-entreprenuers (Burnette,
2015). These processes will be worked out over time but will come with some
turmoil.

At present it is important to hear both sides
of the argument and available data to ensure that a solid grasp of the
situation is at hand. The changes, legislation and solutions should fit within
San Diego’s long-term strategic plan. It is often beneficial to see what other
cities and states are doing and adjust those policies to what works best
locally. Keeping information available and the public informed of changes is
beneficial for community based compliance.